Improvement in elevating-cupboards



J. T. WESTWOOD. Elevating-Cupboard.

Patented April 23, 1878.

Jizaezziar:

Jim. Z Z/J'ZWaoaZ,

NJETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAF'HER. WASHINGTON. u, c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. WESTWOOD, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD HIS RIGHT TO ANDREW REITZ, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATl NG-CUPBOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,906, dated April 23, 1878; application filed March 30, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WEsTwooD, of Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevating-Gupboards; and I do hereby declare that the fol.- lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This elevating-cupboard is designed for use in the cellar, or suitable excavation'below the floor of the kitchen or diningrooin,and, when down, the top of said cupboard is flush with the floor. It is raised by weights, and works in guides formed by the floor. The floorguides, however, are not sufficient to steady the cupboard and insure its free vertical movement, and a casing or guide-frame has been used for the four vertical cupboard cornerposts to work in; but such casing or frame is constantly liable to expansion and contraction, and to bind and catch in its up and down movements.

I overcome these ditficulties by combining with the floor-guides a single corner guiderod and an adjustingscrew, connected with the lower partof one corner of the cupboard, and having an eye termination connecting it with said corner guide-rod, so that the cup board can be adjusted horizontally, with relation to the floor and its guide-rod, so as to be always perpendicular or centered, and to work com paritively free from friction, and prevent all rattling and side-jerkin g movements, while greatly lessening the expense of construction.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a rear elevation of the cupboard when pressed down beneath the floor; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section of the same, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section.

The cupboard is of any suitable construction for containing food, dishes, &c., and is adapted by four vertical corner-posts, a, to be moved up and down in an opening in the floor I of the kitchen or dining-room, the angles of said floor-opening forming guides for the cupboard, and the top of which, when down, fitting into gains in the floor, to bring said top flush therewith.

The cupboard has the usual door or doors 0, arranged to be opened when it is elevated to its full height above the floor. It is elevated by weights d d, attached by cords c e to the opposite sides of the lower portion of the cupboard, which pass over pulleys ff, secured by brackets to the under side of the floor.

In connection with the floor-guides I use a single guide-rod, g, standing parallel with the cupboard, but some little distance from it, and opposite to one of its corner-posts; and I connect the guide-rod g with the lower end of the cupboard-post by an adjusting-screw, h, through an eye, 45, through which the rod 9 passes.

The guiderod is fixed and the adjustment of the screw is made by nuts j j on the opposite sides of the cupboard-post, so as to center and keep the cupboard perpendicular. The screw passes loosely through a hole in the cupboardpost, and extends therefrom at right angles, to connect it with the guide-rod, so that, by properly turning the nuts on the screw, the cupboard will be so adjusted horizontally in and out as to cause it to move up and down through the floor-guide evenly, and

without side jerking and catching, which I have found to be so objectionable with the lower inclosing-case or guide-frame hitherto used with such cupboards, by reason of constant expansion and contraction incident to the location in which the cupboard is arranged and used.

My improvement also lessens the expense of construction, as the guide-rod may be of oneinch gas-pipe, to which the screw-eye is fitted for easy movement.

The cupboard is held down by afloor-catch,

k, and stops lare fixed in the lower part 'of the cupboard, to limit the upward movement of the cupboard.

I claim- The combination, in an elevating-cupboard, adapted to be moved up and down in floorguides, as described, of the corner guide-rod g, the eyed horizontal screw-stem h z, and the adj usting-nuts j j, arranged and connected for adjustment, as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: JOHN T. WESTWOOI).

J. W. WAIT,

ANDREW REITZ. 

